Praise ye the Lord.
The true in praise, religion, and prayer
I. True. Praise and its reasons (verses 1, 2). This call to praise Jehovah is binding on all intelligent and moral creatures, because of--
1. The goodness of His nature.
2. The permanency of His mercy.
3. The immensity of His works.
II. True religion and its blessedness (verse 3). What is true religion? Keeping to the right at all times. “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” The only hymn of praise acceptable to the ear of the Infinite is a life of rectitude. Now, this is happiness (Psalms 1:1).
III. True prayer and its desires. What is the grand desire of true prayer? All may be summed up in one sentence--identification with the excellent of the earth (verses 4, 5). A desire to be identified with the rich, the powerful, and the distinguished of the earth is common, is “of the earth, earthy”; but a desire to be vitally associated with the morally excellent of the earth is rare and of heavenly origin. May this be our grand aspiration! (Homilist.)